switch·back
ˈswich-ˌbak 
: a zigzag road, trail, or section of railroad tracks for climbing a steep hill
switchback
adjective
switchbacked; switchbacking; switchbacks
: to follow a zigzag course especially for ascent or descent
a trail that switchbacks
Examples of switchback in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 2 Jan. 2025
Stanley is recalling approximately 2.6 million of its switchback and trigger action stainless steel travel mugs sold in the U.S. because of a potential burn hazard.
—Michelle Chapman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2024
Cable cars have become relatively regular modes of transport for residents of the mountainous northern region of Pakistan, where journeys along switchback roads climbing steep slopes or descending into deep valleys can take hours to cover just a few miles as the crow flies.
—Salman Masood, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2023
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Noun
The accident prompted him to investigate the harm caused by switchback cutting.
—Grayson Haver Currin, Outside Online, 2 Jan. 2025
Stanley is recalling approximately 2.6 million of its switchback and trigger action stainless steel travel mugs sold in the U.S. because of a potential burn hazard.
—Michelle Chapman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
In the middle of the Redwall switchbacks her skin went purple and her arms went limp.
—Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2024
Cable cars have become relatively regular modes of transport for residents of the mountainous northern region of Pakistan, where journeys along switchback roads climbing steep slopes or descending into deep valleys can take hours to cover just a few miles as the crow flies.
—Salman Masood, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for switchback
Dictionary Entries Near switchback
Cite this Entry
“Switchback.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/switchback. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
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